"Wrongful Life" lawsuits

Last week Los Angeles Times included this story, "If Only We'd Known," about two parents who are filing a "wrongful life" lawsuit because "they were denied the opportunity to decide whether to abort the pregnancy, something they would have weighed had they known the child would be born with a disabling defect that can result in paralysis, profound learning disabilities and fluid on the brain." The articles notes, among other things, that "the rise in wrongful-life suits and the threat of legal responsibility for a child's defects puts obstetricians in the uncomfortable position of recommending, if not insisting on, abortion when there is the slightest doubt, said one physician." (Note: The LA Times requires registration).